#BlogElul Day 10: Count

Counting is great! The idea comes up Jewishly more when thinking about the “Omer” time between Pesach and Shavuos, because it’s actually a mitzvah to count then. But a number of rabbis have begun to appreciate the number of days in Elul and Tishrei, and encourage their communities to value each of those 60 days. (If you count the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul, which is actually the 30th of Av, and the 30th of Tishrei as part of the season, there are 60 days.)

The Holy Land is called the place where God’s eyes are directed, “From the beginning of the year to year’s end.” This means, among other things, that besides for the obvious point that God pays attention all year long, that there is a special quality to the Start of the Year, and a special quality to the End of Year. This means that there is a more potent form of Hashgacha in Tishrei and Elul. Each day of those two months should be counted and savored. Now that means we have 50 days, just like between Pesach and Shavuos. Make them count.